MordredRaal
Agitating
- Pronouns
- She/They
CURATOR (Fallen London/RWBY)
- Thread starter The Bird
- Start date
- Crossover Mature Sci-Fi Fantasy
The Bird
tEM IS GUD...RITER!
- Location
- In that den of villains and scum, OKLAHOMA
…eh, why not.
[X] The Gourmand: ...This might be pushing it, but Mittsy had always wanted to eat on the Gourmand. An Oswald-Carruthers Model B engine, it ran from Steamwhistle to Lombardi Heights and back again, and not only had several dining cars where you could eat as much as you wish, selecting from a very large and fancy menu and watching the chefs cook your meal right in front of you, it also had a variety of other attractions you could visit freely during the trip, like a dance car, a in-train theater, railing and telescopes on the roof to allow passengers to valley-watch, and more. Best of all, they had absolutely zero problem with faunus customers: if you could pay and meet the dress code, you were in. Cost 3 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Furtive Blush.
[X] The Gourmand: ...This might be pushing it, but Mittsy had always wanted to eat on the Gourmand. An Oswald-Carruthers Model B engine, it ran from Steamwhistle to Lombardi Heights and back again, and not only had several dining cars where you could eat as much as you wish, selecting from a very large and fancy menu and watching the chefs cook your meal right in front of you, it also had a variety of other attractions you could visit freely during the trip, like a dance car, a in-train theater, railing and telescopes on the roof to allow passengers to valley-watch, and more. Best of all, they had absolutely zero problem with faunus customers: if you could pay and meet the dress code, you were in. Cost 3 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Furtive Blush.
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
[X] Taste of Vacuo
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] The Gourmand: ...This might be pushing it, but Mittsy had always wanted to eat on the Gourmand. An Oswald-Carruthers Model B engine, it ran from Steamwhistle to Lombardi Heights and back again, and not only had several dining cars where you could eat as much as you wish, selecting from a very large and fancy menu and watching the chefs cook your meal right in front of you, it also had a variety of other attractions you could visit freely during the trip, like a dance car, a in-train theater, railing and telescopes on the roof to allow passengers to valley-watch, and more. Best of all, they had absolutely zero problem with faunus customers: if you could pay and meet the dress code, you were in. Cost 3 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Furtive Blush.
[X] The Gourmand
[X] The Gourmand
Um, you didn't put the [ in the [X] so your vote may not get counted
notthepenguins
Neither Spherical Nor Frictionless
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] The Gourmand: ...This might be pushing it, but Mittsy had always wanted to eat on the Gourmand. An Oswald-Carruthers Model B engine, it ran from Steamwhistle to Lombardi Heights and back again, and not only had several dining cars where you could eat as much as you wish, selecting from a very large and fancy menu and watching the chefs cook your meal right in front of you, it also had a variety of other attractions you could visit freely during the trip, like a dance car, a in-train theater, railing and telescopes on the roof to allow passengers to valley-watch, and more. Best of all, they had absolutely zero problem with faunus customers: if you could pay and meet the dress code, you were in. Cost 3 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Furtive Blush.
Probably unwise, but I like her and want to see what we can do with a Furtive Blush
Probably unwise, but I like her and want to see what we can do with a Furtive Blush
[X] Taste of Vacuo
I have no desire to woo a complete stranger.
I have no desire to woo a complete stranger.
Hyacinthium
Writing about sad cannibals as we speak.
- Location
- Bedroom
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
I appreciate bat date event.
I appreciate bat date event.
Asherterix
Frogge
- Location
- Getting closer
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
- Location
- Nowhere and Everywhere
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
- Location
- California
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
NHO
Dumb is a state of existence
- Location
- ᓚᘏᗢ
[X] Taste of Vacuo: Pricey enough that Mittsy had only eaten there once or twice but inexpensive enough to still be in her price range if she saved for a month or two, Taste of Vacuo was a buffet and grill that specialized in, well, Vacuoan cuisine, which incorporated a great deal of spices and sugars. Cost 2 Lumberjack Credit, gain a Memory of Satiety.
Turn 9 End and Turn 10
The Bird
tEM IS GUD...RITER!
- Location
- In that den of villains and scum, OKLAHOMA
A Taste of Vacuo
The restaurant consisted of a Pavillion located under moonlight, illuminated by lamps at every table and a row of torches surrounding the entire dining cart, as well as the bright light of the open air kitchen (protected by the elements by a thick thatched roof held together by vacuoan waterproof rosin) in which a team of chefs cooked food which was then placed at the buffet table surrounding surrounding the cooking area, each dish kept steaming and fresh by a complex system of fire and water dust crystals that kept the temperature from dropping or the food from drying.
Grilled cactus, the green flesh soft and pull apart tender to the point you were intended to eat it by tearing pieces off and dipping into the creamy garlic sauce. Hot pepper lamb curry made with rich tumeric, diced tomato and onion, yoghurt sauce, and the faint flavor of honey to enhance the spice. Mole Crab boils, producing steaming shellfish given heat by the vacuon spices. Even some seafood, some fairly popular coastal dishes from the kingdom, such as dried fish cakes seasoned and intended to be served with the dove-egg soup in order to soften the fish. Rabbit with Black Pepper, coated in a thick, rich amber colored savory sweet spicy sauce.
And Mittsy made sure to try them all. The first plate, consisting mostly of vegetables, grilled, fried, steamed, broiled, dried, that plate she essentially inhaled: she didn't eat out much, but you didn't grow up in an all Faunus neighborhood without learning to handle at least some spice, and even the vegetables had a kick to them. "You seem to be enjoying your food," Her date teased, the imposing figure having chosen for a large plate of assorted meat dishes, that they slowly consumed, still not lowering their hood.
Mittsy flushed, making a conscious effort to slow down a bit. "I, uh, I'm really hungry," She admitted. "Plus, I probably won't get to eat here again for awhile, so I wanted to make sure that I got my moneys worth, y'know? Or, well, your moneys worth, I guess-"
"Miss Bittsy, please calm yourself. I was merely teasing: there's nothing wrong with a bit of hunger for the finer things in life," Glass said, smooth as silk. "The search for luxury is no sin, nor is it one to enjoy it. In fact..." They said, the teasing note returning to their voice. "Many might consider such an appetite very appealing," They growled, voice surprisingly low.
...Oh jeez, they had just flirted with her. Mitts wasn't used to being flirted with. D-did she flirt back or-
Wait. "Oh yeah, I'm sure the appetite is what you find appealing," Mittsy said, batting her eyes. Ha, badly written romance novels to the rescue! Glass paused, tilted their head, and gave a light chuckle. "I gotta say, you're pretty damn smooth," the spider faunus admitted.
"A lifetime of experience with the written word," Glass said, bringing a forkful of lamb up to their hood, the end of the utensil dissappearing into shadow only to emerge lamb free. "One learns a great deal in the art and language of courting, especially when it's the subject of the majority of your corpus of commissioned works."
Mitts raised an eyebrow. "An author, huh? Romance author, even. Wouldn't have figured that. Odd job combo, I guess, with the hunter thing." She admitted.
"Ah, but is it?" Glass whispered. "Both the dance of courtship and love and the dance of hunting and death involve affairs of the heart. Both involve embarking on a dangerous waltz and undertaking risk, as love can kill just as completely and utterly as any dagger in the right hands," They said, voice taking on an entrancing and almost hypnotic quality as they talked. "Both acts involve a language deeper and more primal, more CARNAL than even the mightiests of the languages of heaven," Glass continued, fiery red eyes softly glowing, causing Mitts heart to beat faster and faster. "One that can end in ultimate victory...or ultimate defeat. At the end of the day, love and violence are two sides of the same coin."
"...Wow, that, uh," Mitts said, tugging at her collar. "Guessing you specialized in bodice rippers, huh?"
Glass scoffed, briefly shaking their fork at Mittsy. "No, I specialized in tragic romances," They said, a note of disgust creeping into their voice. "My patron didn't care for stories they deemed obscene. No, 'Boudice Rippers' as you call them, assuming you're referring to the particular literary genre I believe you are, were merely a hobby." They paused for a moment, spearing a piece of fish and bringing it to their hood. "Or rather, the things I wrote for fun were most analogous to bodice rippers," They amended, and Mitts noted they had a really formal, almost old-timey style of speaking. She had used the term bodice ripper ironically, but she was fairly certain Glass wasn't. "And what profession do you labour in?" They inquired, and Mittsy shrugged.
"I work at the trainyard for the Grail family fixing up their engines." She admitted, moving on to her next plate, this one an assorted mix of thick curries that was starting to mix around the edges. "Basically, almost every cargo train that Steamwhistle owns, I've fixed at some point."
"Ah, an engineer of locomotives. Such a fascinating technology. No doubt you occupy a place of prominence in this Grail families organization," Glass observed, and Mitts waggled her hand.
"Ehhh. I get paid enough I don't have to live in the workhouses and actually have my own apartment, even if its cliffside," She said, shrugging, cocking her eyebrows when she saw Glass still. "Wouldn't call that prominence."
"Workhouses?" They said, curiosity in their voice.
"Schnee Dust Company Workhouses," Mittsy grumbled, eyes darting around to make sure no one was paying attention, noting that badmouthing Schnee publically was something you did verrrrrry carefully in a town they owned a third of. "I don't think they're all Schnee, but most of them are," She said, taking a bite of curry, savoring the heat and flavor. "If you live in Steamwhistle and have nowhere else to go and can't feed yourself, they're the option of last resort. Room, board, and food, and all you have to do is work hundred hour work weeks in grueling, unsafe conditions for little to no pay, most of which goes to the Schnee Dust Company to pay off your debt," She said, neutrally...or at least as neutral as she could.
"...That sounds like slavery," Glass noted, voice flat.
Venture Gained: Destroy the Workhouses.
"Legally it isn't! Nothings stopping anyone in a workhouse from leaving!" Mitts chirped, frowning, realizing her good cheer was beginning to wan. Sighing, they took a sip from their drink. "Sure, they still have the debt, and sure, they might get sent to a debtors prison, and SURE, the Schnee's might own the prisons," They said, venom and bitterness creeping into their voice. "But it isn't slavery. The law is very clear about what constitutes slavery and the Workhouses don't qualify."
"...Let us, perhaps, move on to a lighter topic," Glass said, flatly, and Mitts was fairly certain they heard a harsh edge to their voice. "I can already feel my bile rising."
Mitts nodded, perching her chin in her hand while propping her arm up on the table. "So, you said you worked as an author, huh? Any chance I could get a poem?" She teased.
Glass paused. "I can at least attempt so," They said, before clearing their throat. "Be warned that I am not wholly familiar with your language, and so I may have to make a few introductions," They prefaced...before proceeding to belt out a poem that only had a few words that were Valean.
Wordsmithing: 1;3; Failure
Mitts frowned, wincing at the poem...or rather how it was recited. She didn't understand the words, and the Valean she had heard consisted of 'Spiders', 'Suns', and 'Cheese', and the rest had sounded like an inhuman gurgling mixed with chirps: the parts she could recognize as actual words weren't any more clear. "That, uh..."
"You asked for something off the cuff," Glass said, defensively. "My best work generally required weeks of careful craft." Mitts snorted in amusement. Okay, so the poem had been terrible, but the reaction was worth it: this was the first time this evening she had seen Glass put onto the back foot. "Give me a week, perhaps two, and I can produce a far superior piece," They claimed.
"Fair enough," Mitts laughed. "I might hold you to that," She said, raising her glass and taking a drink.
You have gained a Memory of Satiety!
+++++
A Destination Found
On your way back to your lair, you endeavor to put your efforts to scout the region to use. Circling low in the sky, you carefully search the valley, eyes and ears peering over the vast moonlit woods. Occasionally, one of the shadowbeasts- these 'Grimm' as they're known, apparently- would grow curious and attack you, typically winged ones designed to resemble avian or insect.
They are very easily eradicated. Eventually, as the minutes turned into hours, you would come upon a sight indeed. Tucked away in the deepest recesses of the woods, far off any beaten path, you find the remains of a hamlet in ruins. Stone buildings hollow and empty, roofs cracking and collapsed. Grass growing over the cobbles. Surrounding it, a wooden barricade, old and rotting, numerous parts of it collapsed, though whether from age or violence is unknown: your brief view of the ruins show no corpses, but considering the age, that meant little. If violence had destroyed this settlement, the easy to find remains were likely already gone.
Hmm. After you constructed the compound, you might revisit these ruins. Surely rebuilding them would be simple enough, and it was out of the way enough to remain hidden from the humans of this world.
An Occurrence! You are now in possession of Route: Hidden Hamlet Ruins!
An Occurrence! Menace: Greed is now 2 - Growling Hunger!
+++++
Someone is Coming...has reached 4 - Approaching Footsteps
Qualities:
Curator: You are not human. You are a locomotive sized chiropteran. You can take on, as needed, a smaller form to go unmolested and perform actions that require a degree of subtlety. But make no mistake: should you genuinely be threatened, you could unfurl to full size, a beast capable of wreaking havoc, and even disguised, your biology incomprehensibly strange.
A Desire For Reflection: Mirrors and Glasswork. The more prismatic, the more lightbending, the more reflective, the better. You instinctively have the urge to hoard these items. In your case, you do so in the form of Galleries: you have a special fondness for displaying your own work.
Never Fading Memory of Lost Love: It had been tattooed onto your brain in Violant, and so you would never be permitted to forget. It was a source of constant heartache, but also, in times of darkness or doubt, strength.
Skills:
Glasswork 4: A lore of manipulation employed by glassblowers, these rites call upon the crystalline nature of glass to manipulate Parabola itself.
Bureaucracy 3: Technically correct was the best form of correct.
Reflection 3: Ones ability to gaze beneath the surface and examine truths hidden just under ones own reflection.
Wordsmithing 1: This talent governs words and ones ability to shape and craft them, forging them into perfectly honed arguments.
Fiery Oratory 1: This talent governs fiery speech, intended to inflame and incite.
Red Science 1: Arcane sciences governing the interaction between light and law.
Cartography 1: The ability to assemble and decipher maps.
Archaeology 1: The ability to disassemble ruins for information and treasure.
Artefacts:
Prismatic Parabolan Mirror: A shimmering mirror containing all the forbidden colors of Parabola. Should you need a particular shade of light, the Prismatic Mirror could produce it.
Grief Tainted Glass Music Box: It had been made as a gift. Your emotions and memories had tainted it, forcing those who listened to its tune to experience the same grief that had once crippled you long ago.
A Compendium of Revolutionary Texts: A gift from your revolutionary contacts, a compendium bound in Violant leather. It's eyes followed you around the room, and its jacket was lined with teeth, but this living book contained a variety of philosophical and economic treatise and manifestos written by some of the greatest thinkers of the Liberation.
Sympathies:
Industry 3: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with workers and overseers alike.
Revolutionaries 1: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with rebels, mutineers, and those who seek to upend the status quo.
Bats 1: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with bats and other lesser chiroptera.
Subordinates:
Manifestation of Lost Love: A piece of yourself you'll never be able to leave behind given false flesh. Reduces chances of getting attacked in Parabola.
Menaces:
Greed 2 - All of your kin were possessed of unparaleled avarice, each of them having a particular item they especially obsessed over. Resisting this greed could be done for a time, though it was incredibly distressing to do so.
Spored 1 - You had been lightly dusted by spores by an annoying mushroom, giving you a small but persistent headache. In time it would fade, thankfully.
Grimmification 1 - A brief encounter with the black ooze had dyed your fur and skin where it had touched you, and of late your dreams have been somewhat more unpleasant.
+++++++++
Assets:
2 Chiropteran Scouting Reports: A collection of reports by bats. Terribly imprecise, but it isn't unlikely to contain information you can't find elsewhere: Bat's were terribly subtle creatures, after all.
Dark Hint: Something unspeakable, harvested from the dreams of Shadowbeasts.
Forbidden Spectra: Research data collected by using the Parabolan Color Spectra on the Shadowbeasts.
Tale of Terror: A recounting of some hideous event or sighting.
Strange Spores: A collection of unusual jelly-like spore samples from the upside down jungle, they emit a foul, sickly sweet scent.
Vial of Liquid Darkness: A sample of the black ooze collected from the Umbralagoon, it forms teeth inside its vial whenever held, futiley trying to bite.
Lumberjacks Credit: Credit built with the woodcutters of the valley via trading and favors, good for sourcing lumber and furniture.
Crate of Meat: A large assortment of meats you had hunted down, carefully preserved to serve as rations for at least a few weeks.
3 Units of Lumber: A large cargo container filled with wood processed by the Bunyuns.
Memory of Satiety: A memory of when hunger was banished in its entirety, a remnant figment of fullness.
Available Projects:
[ ] Interrogate the Bats [Sympathy: Bats]: They knew things. The lay of the land. Geological oddities. Population centers. It would be less reliable and likely less precise than your own scouting, but likely safer, and the bats HAD lived here long enough to likely have a large collection of secrets. This is a IMPOSSIBLY SIMPLE (Threshold 1) test. It will yield a Chiropteran Scouting Report, a LOW VALUE piece of intelligence.
[ ] Perform Your Own Reconnaissance [Cartography]: The Judgements light didn't shine here. Hopefully, at least. You should be able to do a personal scouting of the skies outside the temple. More precise and reliable, but dangerous and you were likely to not collect near as much information. Generates minimum one progress to a Memory of the Sky. On a successful RISKY Cartography Challenge (2 Successes), gain an additional point of progress. 0/5 to the next Memory of the Sky.
[ ] Explore the Tunnels [Cartography]: They were too small to accommodate your full form, but your lesser one should fit fine, and you were reasonably confident nothing within could harm you, especially now that you've cleared out your unwanted guests. This is an IMPOSSIBLY SIMPLE (Threshold 1) Cartography challenge. Successes will generate Spelunkers Maps.
[ ] Lightbreaking Ritual [Glasswork]: This place was far enough from the light for the laws to be weak. You knew of secret rituals and rites that supposedly could sever them entirely. For a space as small as this, it would take much of yourself, but it should be accomplishable using only the Mirror Pool and your Prismatic Mirror. Allows further Glasswork and Red Science projects. 16/???
[ ] The Dreams of Bats [Glasswork]: You had to fortify The Parabolan half of your hideout. To do that, you would need resources: once more, the bats were an option. Their dreams, unawakened as they are, are fleeting and weak, but they would suffice in enough numbers. This is a Difficult (Threshold 3) Glasswork Check. Failure and success will offer rewards pilfered from the dreams of your chiropteran neighbors, though the latter is preferable.
[ ] Memories of Self [Reflection]: You could also use yourself. Painful, exhausting, but you were far sharper than any beast, and your memories would be far more dangerous. This is a Reflection project. 0/5 progress to gaining a Shard of Self, a high quality Reflection item.
[ ] The Writing on the Wall [Archaeologist]: There was still so much of the temple left hidden by the ravages of age. By continuing your studies, you could piece together more and more information about the Temple and those who built it. 0/5 progress to gaining a Antediluvian Glyph. 0/10 progress to ???.
[-] Dissecting the Shadowbeast [Red Science]: It was, perhaps, an unnecessary expenditure of time at this juncture. However, it would provide valuable insight that, when you re-established communications, would serve as a fine bargaining chip. The trick would be finding a method to keep it alive long enough to extract useful information, considering how quickly these beings seemed to decay. This is a RISKY (3 Success Threshold) project, but completing it will transform your Bound Shadowbeast to a Shadowbeast Anatomic Study, a high value piece of intelligence. You will lose the Shadowbeast either way. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[-] Extract The Shadowbeasts Dreams [Glasswork]: A complete unknown in terms of risk, but it would allow you all sorts of insights into the mind of these beasts and whatever secrets they seemed to hold. This is a RISKY (3 Success Threshold) project: completion grants a Dark Hint or, rarely, a ???. Success or failure dramatically increases Fading. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[-] Expose the Shadowbeast to the Forbidden Spectra [Glasswork]: You had a mirror full of the colors of Parabola. You had a creature comprised of what seemed to be blind, unyielding hatred. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to test some things out. Specify which Color of Parabola you intend to expose the Shadowbeast to. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[ ] Hunting the Hunters [Curator]: You had done enough study. Time to go and test these creatures in battle. This is a VERY RISKY Blind Skill Challenge (2 Successes required). Success grants a Lesson Written in Bone, which can be used to increase combat skills or to acquire Bound Shadowbeasts.
[-] Ultimate Spelunking [Spelunkers Maps]: You had done enough underground exploration that you could certainly claim to have developed a bit of a knack for it. Spend ten of your Spelunkers Maps: in exchange, gain 1 point in the Cartographer skill, which governs exploration and travel. INSUFFICIENT MATERIALS.
[-] Ultimate Archaeologist [Antediluvian Glyph]: You had done enough study of the Temple that you had learned to pry from it some of its more obscured secrets. Use three Antediluvian Glyphs to gain a point of the Archeologist skill. This will not use up your Glyphs.
[ ] A Destination, Found! [Spelunkers Maps]: You had done enough underground exploration that you could safely say your local region was mostly safe, at least once you bricked up a few tunnels. However, your instincts screamed at you that you were close to discovering something: there had to be something of value in these caverns, after all. Spend three of your Spelunkers Maps: in exchange, gain one random Subterranean Route.
[-] A Destination, Found! [Memory of the Sky]: You would need to do more exploration, but you believed you could locate a few more locations of import. Spends your Memory of the Sky: in exchange, gain one Valley Route.
[-] A Destination, Found! [Chiropteran Scouting Report] The bats had an intimate familiarity with the mountains, and whispered of locations within that might be of interest. Spends five Chiropteran Scouting Reports
[ ] Explore the Glass City [Reflection]: Who built it? Why? It has symbols of both cats and snakes on it: two bitter enemies. Yet it doesn't fit the architecture of either side: this was not Fingerking construction and it certainly wasn't Cat construction. This is a RISKY (5 Successes) Reflection challenge. Success grants a random History or Glass item.
[ ] Hunting Digestables [Curator]: It wasn't, strictly, necessary, but having a source of food for your upcoming guests would likely be useful, if only because it would mean that less worry would have to be placed when it came to transporting vital supplies. Gain 1 Unit of Meat.
[-] Expedition to the Sun [Memory of the Sky]: You will need considerable food for this. Information on the local judgement. Requires FIVE UNITS of Food. Costs five candles. This will take considerable time.
[ ] Specimen Collection [Route: Umbralagoon and Upside Down Jungle]: It was disgusting and you didn't want to do it, but if needed you would...ugh, touch the swamp to gather research materials. Gain Random Shadowbeast Material. Gain Menaces. Gain Information.
[ ] Exploring the Upside Down Jungle [Route: Umbralagoon and Upside Down Jungle]: The massive fungal forest was no doubt related to the strange rules of this place, and had several colors of the parabolan spectra. Obviously, it was related to the Temple in some way, but no doubt it also contained something or other of value. Gain Random Fungus Material. Gain Menaces. Gain Infomation.
[-] Experimental Mycologist [Strange Spore]: Any fungal experiments would require a laboratory. In order to build a laboratory, you needed to secure this place and purchase the necessary implements. Spend One Strange Spore to gain Mycology, the skill governing the breeding, identification, and adeptness with experimenting with mushrooms, fungi, molds, and some parasites. Locked until you have acquired a Laboratory.
[-] Examine the Vial of Liquid Darkness [Vial of Liquid Darkness]: You would need a laboratory for this: you lacked the means to perform an indepth examination of the substance. Spend Vial of Liquid Darkness to gain two dark hints. Locked until you have acquired a Laboratory.
[-] The Red Science and Liquid Darkness [Red Science]: Working the red science was a dangerous art. To do so safely, you would require a specialized atelier first. Spend Vial of Liquid Darkness to gain one Clue Writ in Shadowy Scarlet.
[ ] Lumberjack Purchases [Lumberjack Credit]: The woodcutters had a variety of useful services and goods they could offer...if you could pay. Still, it would be more expedient than doing things yourself, you supposed.
-[ ] Lumber: If you were willing to work it yourself, buying already cut wood from the Bunyuns would be fairly cheap, allowing you to construct basic, if not particularly high quality, living quarters and defenses. Cost 1 Lumberjack Credit for 3 units of Lumber
-[ ] Crate of Furniture: Alternatively, you could commission them for already made furnishings. More expensive, but it would allow your place of residence a degree of improved liveability. Cost 1 Lumberjack Credit for 1 crate of Handcarved Pinewood Furniture.
-[ ] Construction Job: Very, very expensive, but you could likely pay them to convert your location of residence into a proper dwelling capable of withstanding the shadowbeasts, with actual walls and rooms and even plumbing. Cost 4 Lumberjack Credit and all Lumber to build over the course of two weeks a modestly robust pinewood compound at the mirror pools location.
[ ] Selling Wares to the Lumberjacks [Route: Bunyun and Sons]: Of course, in order to afford any of this, you would have to acquire more credit with Bunyun and sons. Thankfully, you had a few different ideas for things you could trade them...
-[ ] Select three colors of the parabolan rainbow. These will form the basis of your trades. Can spend additional candles to repeat this action.
[ ] Calling Upon the Bunyuns [Glassworking] You were not by your nature a social creature, but having more contacts would be invaluable in the long term. By cultivating a familiarity with the woodcutter families, you can begin work constructing a power base and pipeline for revolutionary resource acquisition. You would need to bring a gift.
-[ ] Select one item or parabolan color to serve as a gift. Different gifts will be received differently.
[ ] Calling Upon Mittsy [Wordsmithing]: The human had potential as an asset: they understood this world, its culture, and more importantly it's technology. By cultivating a relationship with the mechanic, you could begin making inroads to securing her assistance. You would need to provide some writing to impress her, most likely.
-[ ] Select a non-tangible item to serve as writing inspiration, as well as whether you wish to write a short story, essay, poem, etc.
[ ] A Night Around Steamwhistle [Route: Steamwhistle]: It would perhaps be costly, but doing a bit of carousing in Steamwhistle would be an excellent way to soak in the culture of this world and aid with your attempts to assimilate. Plus, you could invite your associates, contacts, and compatriots in the area to help deepen your relationships, platonic or otherwise. Can perform action alone or with certain characters. Costs variable Finance items (EG Lumberjack Credits): higher quality or additional items produce better results.
-[ ] Alone
-[ ] With Ms. Bittsy
[ ] Scout the Workhouses [Glasswork/Reflection]: You understood the broad concept. The fine details didn't matter. They need to be destroyed. Those who created the conditions that generated them needed to be destroyed. Those who enable them need to be destroyed. But first, you need information. Contacts. Things you can use to sabotage their operation. Gain information.
[ ] Submit Works to Newspapers [Wordsmithing]: Some of the periodicals of Steamwhistle apparently published works sent in from the public. This apparently they would also pay for, if the story or poem was high enough regarded. It would potentially give you a much more liquid source of income, and one that would require little effort if you could properly inspire yourself. Select a Genre (Horror, Romance, Speculative Fiction). This is a RISKY (DC 2) action that will generates one Liquid Currency a week for a number weeks equal to successes above the DC.
[ ] Craft a Novel [Wordsmiths]: A slightly more ambitious idea, Steamwhistle apparently ran a line to some place known as 'Mantle' that apparently had great houses that would publish entire books of literature and pay considerable sums. You'd have to do a bit of research before you could publish it, but it would no doubt be an effective way to increase your resources and reputation. Select a genre. 0/10 to generate a Novel of that genre.
[ ] Steamwhistle Library [Bureacracy]: If you were to pursue revolutionary endeavors, you needed to learn the history and culture of this world. To that end, you would visit this repository of public knowledge that Mittsy had shown you: you would peer through their encyclopedias and devour their literature. 0/10, generates a random predetermined high quality Knowledge item.
[ ] Construct Compound [Lumber]: You were not a carpenter, but you had nails, you had wood, you had hammers. It would not be good work, but you were running out of time: you needed to hurry if you wished to have this place remotely liveable. Each option costs two Candles to complete and at least one Lumber. They will not be high quality.
- [ ] [ ] Furnishings: Beds. Places where they could empty their waste. Chairs. Tables for eating.
- [ ] [ ] Defenses: Barriers. Pallisades. Pits. That sort of thing: the compound needed to be safe, after all.
[ ] Extremely Dubious Rations: You were fairly certain you could attempt to discern a way to cook the mushrooms of the upside down jungle in a way that rendered them mostly edible. It wouldn't be good food, it might give them horrific nightmares, it would almost certainly produce the most horrific flatulence, but it was easily procurable and require no risks to secrecy. Spend One Strange Spore to generate three units of Extremely Dubious Rations, a low quality foodstuff.
[ ] Raid Human Cargo Transports [Curator]: Train tracks, those trucks, both were equal sources of cargo. The likelyhood of them having glassware was unlikely, but it would at least sate your avarice for a time until you could begin properly rebuilding your hoard. Gain random cargo. Not taking this action will increase Menace: Greed.
+++++
Two hours moratorium. Also, finished my first mask of the rose run: I give it a hearty thumbs up if you like fallen london or romance VNs.
The restaurant consisted of a Pavillion located under moonlight, illuminated by lamps at every table and a row of torches surrounding the entire dining cart, as well as the bright light of the open air kitchen (protected by the elements by a thick thatched roof held together by vacuoan waterproof rosin) in which a team of chefs cooked food which was then placed at the buffet table surrounding surrounding the cooking area, each dish kept steaming and fresh by a complex system of fire and water dust crystals that kept the temperature from dropping or the food from drying.
Grilled cactus, the green flesh soft and pull apart tender to the point you were intended to eat it by tearing pieces off and dipping into the creamy garlic sauce. Hot pepper lamb curry made with rich tumeric, diced tomato and onion, yoghurt sauce, and the faint flavor of honey to enhance the spice. Mole Crab boils, producing steaming shellfish given heat by the vacuon spices. Even some seafood, some fairly popular coastal dishes from the kingdom, such as dried fish cakes seasoned and intended to be served with the dove-egg soup in order to soften the fish. Rabbit with Black Pepper, coated in a thick, rich amber colored savory sweet spicy sauce.
And Mittsy made sure to try them all. The first plate, consisting mostly of vegetables, grilled, fried, steamed, broiled, dried, that plate she essentially inhaled: she didn't eat out much, but you didn't grow up in an all Faunus neighborhood without learning to handle at least some spice, and even the vegetables had a kick to them. "You seem to be enjoying your food," Her date teased, the imposing figure having chosen for a large plate of assorted meat dishes, that they slowly consumed, still not lowering their hood.
Mittsy flushed, making a conscious effort to slow down a bit. "I, uh, I'm really hungry," She admitted. "Plus, I probably won't get to eat here again for awhile, so I wanted to make sure that I got my moneys worth, y'know? Or, well, your moneys worth, I guess-"
"Miss Bittsy, please calm yourself. I was merely teasing: there's nothing wrong with a bit of hunger for the finer things in life," Glass said, smooth as silk. "The search for luxury is no sin, nor is it one to enjoy it. In fact..." They said, the teasing note returning to their voice. "Many might consider such an appetite very appealing," They growled, voice surprisingly low.
...Oh jeez, they had just flirted with her. Mitts wasn't used to being flirted with. D-did she flirt back or-
Wait. "Oh yeah, I'm sure the appetite is what you find appealing," Mittsy said, batting her eyes. Ha, badly written romance novels to the rescue! Glass paused, tilted their head, and gave a light chuckle. "I gotta say, you're pretty damn smooth," the spider faunus admitted.
"A lifetime of experience with the written word," Glass said, bringing a forkful of lamb up to their hood, the end of the utensil dissappearing into shadow only to emerge lamb free. "One learns a great deal in the art and language of courting, especially when it's the subject of the majority of your corpus of commissioned works."
Mitts raised an eyebrow. "An author, huh? Romance author, even. Wouldn't have figured that. Odd job combo, I guess, with the hunter thing." She admitted.
"Ah, but is it?" Glass whispered. "Both the dance of courtship and love and the dance of hunting and death involve affairs of the heart. Both involve embarking on a dangerous waltz and undertaking risk, as love can kill just as completely and utterly as any dagger in the right hands," They said, voice taking on an entrancing and almost hypnotic quality as they talked. "Both acts involve a language deeper and more primal, more CARNAL than even the mightiests of the languages of heaven," Glass continued, fiery red eyes softly glowing, causing Mitts heart to beat faster and faster. "One that can end in ultimate victory...or ultimate defeat. At the end of the day, love and violence are two sides of the same coin."
"...Wow, that, uh," Mitts said, tugging at her collar. "Guessing you specialized in bodice rippers, huh?"
Glass scoffed, briefly shaking their fork at Mittsy. "No, I specialized in tragic romances," They said, a note of disgust creeping into their voice. "My patron didn't care for stories they deemed obscene. No, 'Boudice Rippers' as you call them, assuming you're referring to the particular literary genre I believe you are, were merely a hobby." They paused for a moment, spearing a piece of fish and bringing it to their hood. "Or rather, the things I wrote for fun were most analogous to bodice rippers," They amended, and Mitts noted they had a really formal, almost old-timey style of speaking. She had used the term bodice ripper ironically, but she was fairly certain Glass wasn't. "And what profession do you labour in?" They inquired, and Mittsy shrugged.
"I work at the trainyard for the Grail family fixing up their engines." She admitted, moving on to her next plate, this one an assorted mix of thick curries that was starting to mix around the edges. "Basically, almost every cargo train that Steamwhistle owns, I've fixed at some point."
"Ah, an engineer of locomotives. Such a fascinating technology. No doubt you occupy a place of prominence in this Grail families organization," Glass observed, and Mitts waggled her hand.
"Ehhh. I get paid enough I don't have to live in the workhouses and actually have my own apartment, even if its cliffside," She said, shrugging, cocking her eyebrows when she saw Glass still. "Wouldn't call that prominence."
"Workhouses?" They said, curiosity in their voice.
"Schnee Dust Company Workhouses," Mittsy grumbled, eyes darting around to make sure no one was paying attention, noting that badmouthing Schnee publically was something you did verrrrrry carefully in a town they owned a third of. "I don't think they're all Schnee, but most of them are," She said, taking a bite of curry, savoring the heat and flavor. "If you live in Steamwhistle and have nowhere else to go and can't feed yourself, they're the option of last resort. Room, board, and food, and all you have to do is work hundred hour work weeks in grueling, unsafe conditions for little to no pay, most of which goes to the Schnee Dust Company to pay off your debt," She said, neutrally...or at least as neutral as she could.
"...That sounds like slavery," Glass noted, voice flat.
Venture Gained: Destroy the Workhouses.
"Legally it isn't! Nothings stopping anyone in a workhouse from leaving!" Mitts chirped, frowning, realizing her good cheer was beginning to wan. Sighing, they took a sip from their drink. "Sure, they still have the debt, and sure, they might get sent to a debtors prison, and SURE, the Schnee's might own the prisons," They said, venom and bitterness creeping into their voice. "But it isn't slavery. The law is very clear about what constitutes slavery and the Workhouses don't qualify."
"...Let us, perhaps, move on to a lighter topic," Glass said, flatly, and Mitts was fairly certain they heard a harsh edge to their voice. "I can already feel my bile rising."
Mitts nodded, perching her chin in her hand while propping her arm up on the table. "So, you said you worked as an author, huh? Any chance I could get a poem?" She teased.
Glass paused. "I can at least attempt so," They said, before clearing their throat. "Be warned that I am not wholly familiar with your language, and so I may have to make a few introductions," They prefaced...before proceeding to belt out a poem that only had a few words that were Valean.
Wordsmithing: 1;3; Failure
Mitts frowned, wincing at the poem...or rather how it was recited. She didn't understand the words, and the Valean she had heard consisted of 'Spiders', 'Suns', and 'Cheese', and the rest had sounded like an inhuman gurgling mixed with chirps: the parts she could recognize as actual words weren't any more clear. "That, uh..."
"You asked for something off the cuff," Glass said, defensively. "My best work generally required weeks of careful craft." Mitts snorted in amusement. Okay, so the poem had been terrible, but the reaction was worth it: this was the first time this evening she had seen Glass put onto the back foot. "Give me a week, perhaps two, and I can produce a far superior piece," They claimed.
"Fair enough," Mitts laughed. "I might hold you to that," She said, raising her glass and taking a drink.
You have gained a Memory of Satiety!
+++++
A Destination Found
On your way back to your lair, you endeavor to put your efforts to scout the region to use. Circling low in the sky, you carefully search the valley, eyes and ears peering over the vast moonlit woods. Occasionally, one of the shadowbeasts- these 'Grimm' as they're known, apparently- would grow curious and attack you, typically winged ones designed to resemble avian or insect.
They are very easily eradicated. Eventually, as the minutes turned into hours, you would come upon a sight indeed. Tucked away in the deepest recesses of the woods, far off any beaten path, you find the remains of a hamlet in ruins. Stone buildings hollow and empty, roofs cracking and collapsed. Grass growing over the cobbles. Surrounding it, a wooden barricade, old and rotting, numerous parts of it collapsed, though whether from age or violence is unknown: your brief view of the ruins show no corpses, but considering the age, that meant little. If violence had destroyed this settlement, the easy to find remains were likely already gone.
Hmm. After you constructed the compound, you might revisit these ruins. Surely rebuilding them would be simple enough, and it was out of the way enough to remain hidden from the humans of this world.
An Occurrence! You are now in possession of Route: Hidden Hamlet Ruins!
An Occurrence! Menace: Greed is now 2 - Growling Hunger!
+++++
Turn 10
You have six candles!
Someone is Coming...has reached 4 - Approaching Footsteps
Mr. Glass, a Revolutionary
Qualities:
Curator: You are not human. You are a locomotive sized chiropteran. You can take on, as needed, a smaller form to go unmolested and perform actions that require a degree of subtlety. But make no mistake: should you genuinely be threatened, you could unfurl to full size, a beast capable of wreaking havoc, and even disguised, your biology incomprehensibly strange.
A Desire For Reflection: Mirrors and Glasswork. The more prismatic, the more lightbending, the more reflective, the better. You instinctively have the urge to hoard these items. In your case, you do so in the form of Galleries: you have a special fondness for displaying your own work.
Never Fading Memory of Lost Love: It had been tattooed onto your brain in Violant, and so you would never be permitted to forget. It was a source of constant heartache, but also, in times of darkness or doubt, strength.
Skills:
Glasswork 4: A lore of manipulation employed by glassblowers, these rites call upon the crystalline nature of glass to manipulate Parabola itself.
Bureaucracy 3: Technically correct was the best form of correct.
Reflection 3: Ones ability to gaze beneath the surface and examine truths hidden just under ones own reflection.
Wordsmithing 1: This talent governs words and ones ability to shape and craft them, forging them into perfectly honed arguments.
Fiery Oratory 1: This talent governs fiery speech, intended to inflame and incite.
Red Science 1: Arcane sciences governing the interaction between light and law.
Cartography 1: The ability to assemble and decipher maps.
Archaeology 1: The ability to disassemble ruins for information and treasure.
Artefacts:
Prismatic Parabolan Mirror: A shimmering mirror containing all the forbidden colors of Parabola. Should you need a particular shade of light, the Prismatic Mirror could produce it.
Grief Tainted Glass Music Box: It had been made as a gift. Your emotions and memories had tainted it, forcing those who listened to its tune to experience the same grief that had once crippled you long ago.
A Compendium of Revolutionary Texts: A gift from your revolutionary contacts, a compendium bound in Violant leather. It's eyes followed you around the room, and its jacket was lined with teeth, but this living book contained a variety of philosophical and economic treatise and manifestos written by some of the greatest thinkers of the Liberation.
Sympathies:
Industry 3: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with workers and overseers alike.
Revolutionaries 1: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with rebels, mutineers, and those who seek to upend the status quo.
Bats 1: This is the Sympathy that judges affinity with bats and other lesser chiroptera.
Subordinates:
Manifestation of Lost Love: A piece of yourself you'll never be able to leave behind given false flesh. Reduces chances of getting attacked in Parabola.
Menaces:
Greed 2 - All of your kin were possessed of unparaleled avarice, each of them having a particular item they especially obsessed over. Resisting this greed could be done for a time, though it was incredibly distressing to do so.
Spored 1 - You had been lightly dusted by spores by an annoying mushroom, giving you a small but persistent headache. In time it would fade, thankfully.
Grimmification 1 - A brief encounter with the black ooze had dyed your fur and skin where it had touched you, and of late your dreams have been somewhat more unpleasant.
+++++++++
Assets:
2 Chiropteran Scouting Reports: A collection of reports by bats. Terribly imprecise, but it isn't unlikely to contain information you can't find elsewhere: Bat's were terribly subtle creatures, after all.
Dark Hint: Something unspeakable, harvested from the dreams of Shadowbeasts.
Forbidden Spectra: Research data collected by using the Parabolan Color Spectra on the Shadowbeasts.
Tale of Terror: A recounting of some hideous event or sighting.
Strange Spores: A collection of unusual jelly-like spore samples from the upside down jungle, they emit a foul, sickly sweet scent.
Vial of Liquid Darkness: A sample of the black ooze collected from the Umbralagoon, it forms teeth inside its vial whenever held, futiley trying to bite.
Lumberjacks Credit: Credit built with the woodcutters of the valley via trading and favors, good for sourcing lumber and furniture.
Crate of Meat: A large assortment of meats you had hunted down, carefully preserved to serve as rations for at least a few weeks.
3 Units of Lumber: A large cargo container filled with wood processed by the Bunyuns.
Memory of Satiety: A memory of when hunger was banished in its entirety, a remnant figment of fullness.
Available Projects:
[ ] Interrogate the Bats [Sympathy: Bats]: They knew things. The lay of the land. Geological oddities. Population centers. It would be less reliable and likely less precise than your own scouting, but likely safer, and the bats HAD lived here long enough to likely have a large collection of secrets. This is a IMPOSSIBLY SIMPLE (Threshold 1) test. It will yield a Chiropteran Scouting Report, a LOW VALUE piece of intelligence.
[ ] Perform Your Own Reconnaissance [Cartography]: The Judgements light didn't shine here. Hopefully, at least. You should be able to do a personal scouting of the skies outside the temple. More precise and reliable, but dangerous and you were likely to not collect near as much information. Generates minimum one progress to a Memory of the Sky. On a successful RISKY Cartography Challenge (2 Successes), gain an additional point of progress. 0/5 to the next Memory of the Sky.
[ ] Explore the Tunnels [Cartography]: They were too small to accommodate your full form, but your lesser one should fit fine, and you were reasonably confident nothing within could harm you, especially now that you've cleared out your unwanted guests. This is an IMPOSSIBLY SIMPLE (Threshold 1) Cartography challenge. Successes will generate Spelunkers Maps.
[ ] Lightbreaking Ritual [Glasswork]: This place was far enough from the light for the laws to be weak. You knew of secret rituals and rites that supposedly could sever them entirely. For a space as small as this, it would take much of yourself, but it should be accomplishable using only the Mirror Pool and your Prismatic Mirror. Allows further Glasswork and Red Science projects. 16/???
[ ] The Dreams of Bats [Glasswork]: You had to fortify The Parabolan half of your hideout. To do that, you would need resources: once more, the bats were an option. Their dreams, unawakened as they are, are fleeting and weak, but they would suffice in enough numbers. This is a Difficult (Threshold 3) Glasswork Check. Failure and success will offer rewards pilfered from the dreams of your chiropteran neighbors, though the latter is preferable.
[ ] Memories of Self [Reflection]: You could also use yourself. Painful, exhausting, but you were far sharper than any beast, and your memories would be far more dangerous. This is a Reflection project. 0/5 progress to gaining a Shard of Self, a high quality Reflection item.
[ ] The Writing on the Wall [Archaeologist]: There was still so much of the temple left hidden by the ravages of age. By continuing your studies, you could piece together more and more information about the Temple and those who built it. 0/5 progress to gaining a Antediluvian Glyph. 0/10 progress to ???.
[-] Dissecting the Shadowbeast [Red Science]: It was, perhaps, an unnecessary expenditure of time at this juncture. However, it would provide valuable insight that, when you re-established communications, would serve as a fine bargaining chip. The trick would be finding a method to keep it alive long enough to extract useful information, considering how quickly these beings seemed to decay. This is a RISKY (3 Success Threshold) project, but completing it will transform your Bound Shadowbeast to a Shadowbeast Anatomic Study, a high value piece of intelligence. You will lose the Shadowbeast either way. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[-] Extract The Shadowbeasts Dreams [Glasswork]: A complete unknown in terms of risk, but it would allow you all sorts of insights into the mind of these beasts and whatever secrets they seemed to hold. This is a RISKY (3 Success Threshold) project: completion grants a Dark Hint or, rarely, a ???. Success or failure dramatically increases Fading. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[-] Expose the Shadowbeast to the Forbidden Spectra [Glasswork]: You had a mirror full of the colors of Parabola. You had a creature comprised of what seemed to be blind, unyielding hatred. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to test some things out. Specify which Color of Parabola you intend to expose the Shadowbeast to. Locked until a Bound Shadowbeast is acquired.
[ ] Hunting the Hunters [Curator]: You had done enough study. Time to go and test these creatures in battle. This is a VERY RISKY Blind Skill Challenge (2 Successes required). Success grants a Lesson Written in Bone, which can be used to increase combat skills or to acquire Bound Shadowbeasts.
[-] Ultimate Spelunking [Spelunkers Maps]: You had done enough underground exploration that you could certainly claim to have developed a bit of a knack for it. Spend ten of your Spelunkers Maps: in exchange, gain 1 point in the Cartographer skill, which governs exploration and travel. INSUFFICIENT MATERIALS.
[-] Ultimate Archaeologist [Antediluvian Glyph]: You had done enough study of the Temple that you had learned to pry from it some of its more obscured secrets. Use three Antediluvian Glyphs to gain a point of the Archeologist skill. This will not use up your Glyphs.
[ ] A Destination, Found! [Spelunkers Maps]: You had done enough underground exploration that you could safely say your local region was mostly safe, at least once you bricked up a few tunnels. However, your instincts screamed at you that you were close to discovering something: there had to be something of value in these caverns, after all. Spend three of your Spelunkers Maps: in exchange, gain one random Subterranean Route.
[-] A Destination, Found! [Memory of the Sky]: You would need to do more exploration, but you believed you could locate a few more locations of import. Spends your Memory of the Sky: in exchange, gain one Valley Route.
[-] A Destination, Found! [Chiropteran Scouting Report] The bats had an intimate familiarity with the mountains, and whispered of locations within that might be of interest. Spends five Chiropteran Scouting Reports
[ ] Explore the Glass City [Reflection]: Who built it? Why? It has symbols of both cats and snakes on it: two bitter enemies. Yet it doesn't fit the architecture of either side: this was not Fingerking construction and it certainly wasn't Cat construction. This is a RISKY (5 Successes) Reflection challenge. Success grants a random History or Glass item.
[ ] Hunting Digestables [Curator]: It wasn't, strictly, necessary, but having a source of food for your upcoming guests would likely be useful, if only because it would mean that less worry would have to be placed when it came to transporting vital supplies. Gain 1 Unit of Meat.
[-] Expedition to the Sun [Memory of the Sky]: You will need considerable food for this. Information on the local judgement. Requires FIVE UNITS of Food. Costs five candles. This will take considerable time.
[ ] Specimen Collection [Route: Umbralagoon and Upside Down Jungle]: It was disgusting and you didn't want to do it, but if needed you would...ugh, touch the swamp to gather research materials. Gain Random Shadowbeast Material. Gain Menaces. Gain Information.
[ ] Exploring the Upside Down Jungle [Route: Umbralagoon and Upside Down Jungle]: The massive fungal forest was no doubt related to the strange rules of this place, and had several colors of the parabolan spectra. Obviously, it was related to the Temple in some way, but no doubt it also contained something or other of value. Gain Random Fungus Material. Gain Menaces. Gain Infomation.
[-] Experimental Mycologist [Strange Spore]: Any fungal experiments would require a laboratory. In order to build a laboratory, you needed to secure this place and purchase the necessary implements. Spend One Strange Spore to gain Mycology, the skill governing the breeding, identification, and adeptness with experimenting with mushrooms, fungi, molds, and some parasites. Locked until you have acquired a Laboratory.
[-] Examine the Vial of Liquid Darkness [Vial of Liquid Darkness]: You would need a laboratory for this: you lacked the means to perform an indepth examination of the substance. Spend Vial of Liquid Darkness to gain two dark hints. Locked until you have acquired a Laboratory.
[-] The Red Science and Liquid Darkness [Red Science]: Working the red science was a dangerous art. To do so safely, you would require a specialized atelier first. Spend Vial of Liquid Darkness to gain one Clue Writ in Shadowy Scarlet.
[ ] Lumberjack Purchases [Lumberjack Credit]: The woodcutters had a variety of useful services and goods they could offer...if you could pay. Still, it would be more expedient than doing things yourself, you supposed.
-[ ] Lumber: If you were willing to work it yourself, buying already cut wood from the Bunyuns would be fairly cheap, allowing you to construct basic, if not particularly high quality, living quarters and defenses. Cost 1 Lumberjack Credit for 3 units of Lumber
-[ ] Crate of Furniture: Alternatively, you could commission them for already made furnishings. More expensive, but it would allow your place of residence a degree of improved liveability. Cost 1 Lumberjack Credit for 1 crate of Handcarved Pinewood Furniture.
-[ ] Construction Job: Very, very expensive, but you could likely pay them to convert your location of residence into a proper dwelling capable of withstanding the shadowbeasts, with actual walls and rooms and even plumbing. Cost 4 Lumberjack Credit and all Lumber to build over the course of two weeks a modestly robust pinewood compound at the mirror pools location.
[ ] Selling Wares to the Lumberjacks [Route: Bunyun and Sons]: Of course, in order to afford any of this, you would have to acquire more credit with Bunyun and sons. Thankfully, you had a few different ideas for things you could trade them...
-[ ] Select three colors of the parabolan rainbow. These will form the basis of your trades. Can spend additional candles to repeat this action.
[ ] Calling Upon the Bunyuns [Glassworking] You were not by your nature a social creature, but having more contacts would be invaluable in the long term. By cultivating a familiarity with the woodcutter families, you can begin work constructing a power base and pipeline for revolutionary resource acquisition. You would need to bring a gift.
-[ ] Select one item or parabolan color to serve as a gift. Different gifts will be received differently.
[ ] Calling Upon Mittsy [Wordsmithing]: The human had potential as an asset: they understood this world, its culture, and more importantly it's technology. By cultivating a relationship with the mechanic, you could begin making inroads to securing her assistance. You would need to provide some writing to impress her, most likely.
-[ ] Select a non-tangible item to serve as writing inspiration, as well as whether you wish to write a short story, essay, poem, etc.
[ ] A Night Around Steamwhistle [Route: Steamwhistle]: It would perhaps be costly, but doing a bit of carousing in Steamwhistle would be an excellent way to soak in the culture of this world and aid with your attempts to assimilate. Plus, you could invite your associates, contacts, and compatriots in the area to help deepen your relationships, platonic or otherwise. Can perform action alone or with certain characters. Costs variable Finance items (EG Lumberjack Credits): higher quality or additional items produce better results.
-[ ] Alone
-[ ] With Ms. Bittsy
[ ] Scout the Workhouses [Glasswork/Reflection]: You understood the broad concept. The fine details didn't matter. They need to be destroyed. Those who created the conditions that generated them needed to be destroyed. Those who enable them need to be destroyed. But first, you need information. Contacts. Things you can use to sabotage their operation. Gain information.
[ ] Submit Works to Newspapers [Wordsmithing]: Some of the periodicals of Steamwhistle apparently published works sent in from the public. This apparently they would also pay for, if the story or poem was high enough regarded. It would potentially give you a much more liquid source of income, and one that would require little effort if you could properly inspire yourself. Select a Genre (Horror, Romance, Speculative Fiction). This is a RISKY (DC 2) action that will generates one Liquid Currency a week for a number weeks equal to successes above the DC.
[ ] Craft a Novel [Wordsmiths]: A slightly more ambitious idea, Steamwhistle apparently ran a line to some place known as 'Mantle' that apparently had great houses that would publish entire books of literature and pay considerable sums. You'd have to do a bit of research before you could publish it, but it would no doubt be an effective way to increase your resources and reputation. Select a genre. 0/10 to generate a Novel of that genre.
[ ] Steamwhistle Library [Bureacracy]: If you were to pursue revolutionary endeavors, you needed to learn the history and culture of this world. To that end, you would visit this repository of public knowledge that Mittsy had shown you: you would peer through their encyclopedias and devour their literature. 0/10, generates a random predetermined high quality Knowledge item.
[ ] Construct Compound [Lumber]: You were not a carpenter, but you had nails, you had wood, you had hammers. It would not be good work, but you were running out of time: you needed to hurry if you wished to have this place remotely liveable. Each option costs two Candles to complete and at least one Lumber. They will not be high quality.
- [ ] [ ] Furnishings: Beds. Places where they could empty their waste. Chairs. Tables for eating.
- [ ] [ ] Defenses: Barriers. Pallisades. Pits. That sort of thing: the compound needed to be safe, after all.
[ ] Extremely Dubious Rations: You were fairly certain you could attempt to discern a way to cook the mushrooms of the upside down jungle in a way that rendered them mostly edible. It wouldn't be good food, it might give them horrific nightmares, it would almost certainly produce the most horrific flatulence, but it was easily procurable and require no risks to secrecy. Spend One Strange Spore to generate three units of Extremely Dubious Rations, a low quality foodstuff.
[ ] Raid Human Cargo Transports [Curator]: Train tracks, those trucks, both were equal sources of cargo. The likelyhood of them having glassware was unlikely, but it would at least sate your avarice for a time until you could begin properly rebuilding your hoard. Gain random cargo. Not taking this action will increase Menace: Greed.
+++++
Two hours moratorium. Also, finished my first mask of the rose run: I give it a hearty thumbs up if you like fallen london or romance VNs.
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fishsicles
ate a calculator to gain its power
- Location
- Alexander Horned Earth
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I assume from the scout action that this isn't referring to the specific structures, but the concept/institution and the conditions allowing it to exist. Curators are nothing if not thorough.
The Hidden Hamlet Ruins is probably top priority given our need to produce human-suitable housing for our fellow Revolutionaries, but I don't see any actions with that Route. We probably also want to hit a cargo wagon because a loot-deprived Curator is a very bad thing to be near, let alone to be.
notthepenguins
Neither Spherical Nor Frictionless
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
Deeply entertaining, and any unfamiliarity isn't really perceptible under the intentional awkwardness of Glass being you know. A giant bat from outer space.
Well having a curator be the seducer does give you quite a bit of wiggleroom if anything sounds wrong or off-putting.